First published in 1923

This is my 5th book for The Classics Club Challenge.

PG Wodehouse is one of the greatest comic writers of all time and his Jeeves and Wooster stories are my personal favorites. Bertie Wooster is exceedingly wealthy, very honorable, and none too bright. His valet, Jeeves, is an exceptionally intelligent and enormously patient man who frequently finds himself helping Bertie out of trouble. The books are set sometime in the 1920s or 30s; it’s never specified.

The Inimitable Jeeves was first published in 1923. To create the book, PG Wodehouse took 11 previously published short stories and re-worked them to create a single novel. 

In this book we meet Bertie’s friend from his school days, Bingo Little. Bingo is always falling in love with one woman or another, and he often turns to Bertie for help. Sometimes he needs help getting noticed, and sometimes he needs someone to intercede with his uncle and get him an increased allowance. Usually, whatever Bertie suggests goes wrong and Jeeves steps in to help. 

Another recurring character in this series is Bertie’s Aunt Agatha. She is Bertie’s least favorite aunt, and he fears her greatly. She would like to see him settled with a woman who can improve him, and that’s really the last thing Bertie wants. Once again, it is Jeeves who helps free him from his aunt’s machinations.

Bertie’s younger cousins, Claude and Eustace, the twins, also make several appearances in this story. If Bertie is known for finding himself in trouble, Claude and Eustace are known for seeking trouble. 

The book takes us all over. Though Bertie lives in London, he’s often called to the countryside by friends or family. Once, he’s ordered to the French Riviera by his aunt, and on another occasion, he takes off for New York City to avoid his Aunt. Wherever he leads us, Bertie’s ability to find himself in trouble never fails. Nor does Jeeves’ ability to help Bertie out of trouble.